


Self-Made Man (well...more accurately teenager...who's a dude)

by Kikibaya



Series: JATP Phanfics: Something to Read until Season Two [12]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: AU where it's 2020 and the boys are alive and go to school with julie, After this intro I'll be going off script and writing more dialogue scenes, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Bisexual Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms), Bobby is Not Trevor Wilson, Bruises, Bullying, Chapter 2 is here!, Chapter 3 is here!, Deception, Domestic Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Everyone Is Alive, Everyone knows each other already except for Regina, F/F, F/M, Gen, Good Person Bobby | Trevor Wilson, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, In this fic Reggie is a girl named Regina Peters, Insecurity, Lots of good moments in this one!, M/M, Minor Luke Patterson/Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms), Name-Calling, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Female Character, Pain, Pining, Reggie Peters Has Bad Parents (Julie and The Phantoms), Reggie Peters Needs a Hug (Julie and The Phantoms), Reggie Peters-centric (Julie and The Phantoms), Self-Esteem Issues, Social Experiments, Soft Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms), Strangers to Lovers, Sunset Curve (Julie and The Phantoms), Tags May Change, The first chapter is based off the first chapter of Self-Made Man, The rest of the story will follow Regina as she navigates high school while undercover, This one introduces us to bobby alex and luke, stay tuned!!, this is very much going to be a she's the man ruke story :D
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-14 18:40:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29300529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kikibaya/pseuds/Kikibaya
Summary: An AU based off the New York Times Bestseller "Self-Made Man" by Norah Vincent, this story follows Regina Peters, a girl who disguises herself as a bisexual teenage boy in order to figure out what makes the male species tick (and possibly to avoid being the subject of bullying at her school). While all of this started out as one big social experiment, it quickly turns into something more when Regina finds herself falling for Luke, the lead singer of the popular band Sunset Curve--too bad he's straight (or so Regina, "Reggie" believes).Update! Chapter 3 is here! Summary: It's that time of the month and Regina has a big problem...boys don't get this kind of pain. What's a girl dressed as a guy supposed to do? And...more importantly...how is she gonna hide this from Luke, Alex, and Bobby? The boys are already protective...how are they gonna react to this?!
Relationships: Alex Mercer & Julie Molina & Luke Patterson & Reggie Peters, Alex Mercer & Julie Molina & Luke Patterson & Reggie Peters & Willie, Alex Mercer & Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms), Alex Mercer/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Bobby | Trevor Wilson & Alex Mercer & Luke Patterson & Reggie Peters & Original Female Character(s), Bobby | Trevor Wilson/Reggie Peters, Flynn & Julie Molina, Julie Molina & Luke Patterson, Julie Molina & Reggie Peters, Julie Molina/Luke Patterson, Luke Patterson & Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms), Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms)/Original Female Character(s), Luke Patterson/Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms), Ray Molina & Aunt Victoria, Ray Molina & Reggie Peters, Reggie Peters & Reggie Peters's Parents (Julie and The Phantoms), Regina (Reggie) Peters & Luke Patterson & Alex Mercer & Julie Molina & Flynn
Series: JATP Phanfics: Something to Read until Season Two [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2013343
Comments: 3
Kudos: 24





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> This crazy red-headed step child of a story was really born out of my desire to just write something no one has written before in this fandom (or not that I've seen anyway). At the core of it, this story is gonna be similar to a spin-off of something like She's The Man, The Twelfth Night, Mulan, After The Ball, or any other story like that. Anyways, I hope you enjoy! Let me know in the comments what ya think! 😘💜

Seven months ago, I had my first tutorial in becoming a man. 

The idea came to me when I went out for the first time in drag. At the time, I was living in New York City--this was before I moved to L.A. of course--undergoing a significantly delayed adolescence, drinking and drugging a little too much in attempt to resolve some serious problems that 16-year-old me should not have had to deal with. 

Back then I was hanging around a lot with a drag king whom I had met through...friends? She used to like to dress up and have me take pictures of her in costume. One night, she dared me, yes, ME to dress up with her and go out on the town. I always wanted to try passing as a man in public, really just to see if I could do it, so, enthusiastically, I agreed. 

She had developed a rather interesting technique for creating a beard. Basically, we chopped off a few parts of our own hair, snipped them into smaller pieces, and essentially glued them to our faces. Using a mirror on her desk, she showed me how to do it in the greenish-yellow light of her studio apartment. When we were finished, she looked great. I looked horrible. The beard I had looked like it consumed my entire face; hers on the other hand made her look just like a young hippie guy--more willowy...and faint. 

Needless to say, I ended up ditching the beard--my friend informed me that I already looked like a guy's soft, gay best friend anyway. I guess it was gonna work. Now I just needed to pick out my outfit.

It wasn't that hard. A white tee, leather jacket, ripped skinny jeans--I did look somewhat gay, but more like a punk rock star from the 90s. It was a look--and one that I would find myself turning back to in the not-to-distant future.

We passed, as far as I could tell, but I was too afraid to interact with anyone. Ok, so I did give one guy brief directions to a local bar down the street. He thanked me as "dude" and kept walking. 

Mostly, though, we walked through the downtown area scanning people's faces to see if anyone took a second or third look. No one did. And that, oddly enough, was the thing that struck me the most about that evening. It was the only real thing of importance that happened--but significant enough that it really stayed with me. 

I had lived in that neighborhood for years, walking its streets as men lurked in the alleyways, on stoops and in doorways most of the day. As a young, teenage girl, you couldn't walk down those streets invisibly. You were an object of desire...or at least impure thoughts. Even if you weren't pretty--that or you were just another pussy to be put in its place. Either way, their eyes followed you--all the way up and down the street--it reminded me ever so eerily of the way my father looks at me whenever I come home. It was the way they asserted their dominance. If you were female and you lived there, you got used to being stared down because it happened every day--and every night for some of us--and there wasn't anything you could do about it. 

But that night in drag, we walked by those same alleyways, stoops, and doorways. We walked by those same groups of men. Only this time, they didn't stare. On the contrary, when they met my eyes, they immediately looked away and never looked back. It was astounding--the amount of respect they gave me by NOT looking at me, by not purposely staring.

That was it. That was what had annoyed me so much about meeting their gaze as a girl, not the desire, if there ever was any, but the disrespect. The entitlement. It was rude, and it was meant to be rude, and seeing those guys look away when I was male, I could validate in retrospect the true hostility to their former stares. 

But that wasn't all there was to it. There was something more than respect being communicated in their averted gaze. For them, it was a way to decline a challenge, to adhere to a silent and implied code of behavior that kept peace amongst the male species. To look another man in the eyes, to hold his gaze, was to invite conflict--well, that or a homosexual encounter of which I really wasn't looking to have on my first day out as a guy. To look away is to accept the status quo, to give each other their own bubble, the small buffer of pride and poise that surrounds and keeps him. 

I surmised all of this the night it happened, but in the weeks to follow, I asked some of the guys at my school if what I had experienced was normal. And...they had agreed, adding that it usually wasn't something they even thought about anymore, if they ever had. It was just something you absorbed--as a boy--and by the time you were a man (or teenager in their case), you did it without thinking. 

After the incident, I started thinking that after being in drag for only a few hours I had learned such an important secret about the way males and females communicate with each other, and about the unspoken codes of male experience, then I could potentially observe much more about the social differences between the sexes if I passed as a man for a much longer period of time? It seemed true, but I wasn't brave enough (or motivated enough) to do something that extreme for the purpose of a social experiment. Besides, it seemed impossible, both psychologically and practically, to pull it off. So I filed the information away in my mind for a few months and got on with other things. This all changed when the bullying started. 

It all started when I was 17. My parents had told me that we would be moving to L.A. for dad's business--"business" really, I'm still not quite sure what he does to this day. I went to a new school. Los Feliz High. What a name. What kinda twisted s.o.b names a school "The Happy" anyway? 

I thought because I was new that I would make friends, or maybe even enemies if I was lucky enough. Turns out I wasn't even good enough for that. 

The truth is, I was skinny--real skinny. The type of skinny that meant you could eat whatever you wanted and not gain an ounce of fat. While some might have seen this as a gift, it was my ever-present curse. Being skinny meant three things. One. You were always cold. It didn't matter how many flannels--what? I like how soft they are!--how many jackets, or how many layers I wore in general, I was always freezing. Two. Because I was so skinny, I also was cursed with the smallest boobs possible. So small that I couldn't hardly fit into the smallest cup bra, nor did I want to anyway. Three. Being skinny meant people always had something they could pick on you for. Whether it was my non-existent breasts, my cold-induced pale skin, or the little tremor that followed each word when I spoke out loud, everyone had something to say. 

I just didn't think it would be this. 

That was the day I decided to do it. The day I decided to go undercover. The day I decided to become a self-made man. It was the day someone asked me what I was. Boy or girl. That day I had looked down, slightly wondering myself as I noted my tom-boyish appearance, and a thought occurred to me. Nobody respects me. I am a woman--ok, so I'm a teenager--but, nobody respects me. I see it in the way they raise their eyebrows at me. The way they stare mockingly. The way they laugh and make jokes about how malformed I am for a girl. 

And so, Reggie was born. And that, in truth, was where my story began--that is, with a girl who had no boobs and no respect. And I was gonna use Reggie to find out why. 

In Reggie I had a new name and a starting point for a male identity. But once I had resolved to become Reggie, I still had a fair amount of work to do to make passing as a man in daylight feasible on a regular basis. 

Now, before I get into the meat of my transformation, I have to first explain the significance behind the name Reggie. 

You see, at birth, I was given the name Regina. I never liked it of course--what with it sounding like the name of some pompous and malicious queen out of a fairytale. But, nevertheless, I was stuck with it. 

Now, the name Reggie was born out of the nickname my brothers used to give me. Knowing full well that I despised it, they would laugh and call me Reginald after hearing my dad constantly grumble about wanting another son. For the purpose of this experiment, of course, I could not go by such a name as Reginald. Reggie, however, would be perfect--a way of using my brothers jokes, and my father's disappointment, against them. Besides, I always did like names that you could shorten. And Reggie, well hopefully I would make friends who would someday be well acquainted with me enough to call me "Reg". 

With that detail clarified, back to my transformation. As it happened, I was lucky. At Los Feliz, a performing arts school more than anything, there were a lot of drama students--many of whom have been helpful in bringing Reggie to life. 

I decided to consult Ryan, a makeup artist, specifically. In order to make me into what could pass for a male teenager nowadays, he figured he would have to show me how to blend my skin tone in order to appear less fair and more...vampire? At least, that's the type of pale he said would pass for a more emo-like character. He showed me how to mix concealers, how to make pale skin appear more "sexy", how to add a sprinkle of freckles to my nose, and how to apply green contacts. Once it was all done, the last step--for my face and hair anyways--was to give me a hairstyle that would scream teenage angsty kid obsessed with the 90s (it was the only persona I thought I could pull off honestly). 

At that point I had closed my eyes. What can I say? My hair was a part of me. For the longest time, I had luscious, long, silky, raven-haired locks. They were important. They helped me hide the bruises whenever my dad got wasted. Now I would be vulnerable. Now I wouldn't have the hair to hide behind. 

Chop. Clean off. The hair I once had had fallen unceremoniously to the floor with a soft whoosh. I'm not going to lie to you. I cried. I cried for the hair, but really, I cried for the old me that I knew I would never get back. 

When he turned my chair around, I was in shock. I was him--Reggie. No more Regina. No more little girl with no boobs and no self-confidence. I was Reggie. Reggie who wore flannel shirts, leather jackets, rings and necklaces, had green eyes, and played bass. Yes...played bass. It was edgier. And I had learned it from a young age when it was the thing I had used to drown out my parent's fighting. I had used it as a coping mechanism then, now I would use it as a way to establish my new identity. 

There was only one problem now. My lack of manhood--or "Little Reginald" if you know what I mean. That, and the fact that I still had boobs (even if they were hardly visible anyways, I still had to do something about it). 

So what did I do? Picture Mulan, She's The Man, After The Ball, The Twelfth Night all rolled into one. I didn't use tape though--too sticky. And besides, that would have hurt like crazy every night I had to take it off. No, I used sports bras. Two of them. One on top of the other. It wasn't comfortable, but I was certainly the definition of flat-chested. 

For "Little Reggie" I used a sock...and a jockstrap. It was way better than using a sock and briefs, so don't give me that look. 

My transformation was complete when Jessie--a student obsessed with psychology--got invested with my little scheme and decided to give me acting lessons. How to act like Reggie Peters, not Regina. 

At first, she told me I had to establish who Reggie was. Deciding that I would rather not act like your typical hetero-male, I opted for something I knew I could handle. Class clown, otherwise known as oblivious idiot. That's it. I could do this. Make jokes. Pretend to be confused all the time. Try to look cool when possible. So I tried it. 

"How's it going ladies?" I tried out my "flirtatious voice", making Jessie laugh out loud. 

"Perfect." She had said as she held a hand over her mouth to prevent herself from cackling. "You sound just like my cousin--he's gay by the way." I nodded. Makes sense, I figured I probably couldn't force my voice to go very deep. It's ok though, I could tow that line. It would make things more interesting anyway. Not to say that I would pretend to be gay, no, I would say that I'm bisexual, that way I could remain a more neutral party--being friends to both girls and guys and adding a little flirting every now and then into the mix. It wouldn't be deceiving anyone--no, it was just for the experiment. Something that had to be done. 

In the end, however, I would come to see my secret identity--my Clark Kent act--as exactly that. Deception. What started out as a social experiment--and a way to avoid bullying--would turn into something so much more. It would end up hurting me--perhaps even more so than the bullying would have. In that sense I can say with relative surety that in the end I paid a higher emotional price for my circumstantial deceptions than any of my subjects--one in particular, a boy named Luke. And that is, I think, penalty enough for meddling.


	2. Something Else

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a new kid in music class and Luke just can't stop staring. What is it about this boy with raven-hair, green eyes, and fair skin that's so intriguing? Luke doesn't know, but he sure wants to find out more!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are! Note that Reggie and Regina ARE the same person, so when I refer to either name I'm still talking about Reggie. I just call Regina Reggie when it's from the one of the boy's perspectives and Regina when it's from her own. Hope that's not confusing!!! LOL XD

When the new kid walked in, cherry-red bass in hand, pale, pristine skin, raven hair, and emerald green eyes, Luke couldn't help but gape. There was something different about this boy, unlike all the others. There was something about how his skin looked fairer than Snow White's, how his cheeks were slightly red as if he was shy or embarrassed, how his hair fell perfectly in front of his eyes, and how his gait seemed to be so much more anxious than any guy's he's ever seen--even more so than Alex's, and that was saying something! 

"DUDE!" Luke jumped a bit as someone from behind whacked him on the shoulder. "Stop staring, you'll freak him out!" Alex stated as Luke blinked back to reality. 

"What? Sorry, ok." Luke muttered as he looked behind his shoulder and pouted at Alex.

"Oooh. I Think someone has eyes for the new guy." Bobby teased as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and chuckled. Luke pouted further, crossing his arms over his chest. 

"Bro, I'm not like that." Luke mumbled in his defense. 

"Well I am. And I for one think that the new kid is pretty fiiiine." Alex said as he placed his elbow on his desk and rested his head in the palm of his hand. He looked the new kid up and down once more. "Ahhhh, pretty fine." He repeated dreamily. 

"Oh, I'm so telling Willie!" Luke whispered loudly as he shot a cheeky look towards Bobby. 

Alex didn't budge from his position, instead he defended himself easily. "Willie wouldn't mind me saying that--he'd honestly probably agree with me." Luke looked put out as his teasing didn't do anything to get on Alex's nerves. 

"Shhh, shhh, shhh!" Bobby slapped the side of Alex's arm. "The new kid's gonna introduce himself."

The three boys drew in hushed breaths of anticipation, their eyes quickly navigating towards the front of the classroom. 

"Good morning class. Today I am proud to introduce our newest addition to the music program! Class, this is--

Mrs. Harrison stopped herself, pausing so that the boy could say his name himself. 

Regina froze. This was it. This was the point of no return--there would be no going back after this. 

"Re-Reggie. Reggie Peters." She squeaked, her voice coming across as high-pitched for a male's. She hoped no one had noticed. 

"Reggie." Luke repeated to himself after the new kid had given his name. "Cool."

After a long, slightly awkward silence, Regina made her way through the couple rows of desks, eyes glued to the floor in hopes of drawing as little attention as possible. 

She had almost made it to the back of the classroom when--

"Umph!" She had tripped, head first onto the cold laminate below. 

"Dang it!" She hissed under her breath. She just had to go and draw attention to herself on the first day. Great. Just great. 

Drawing her legs in to try and get them beneath her so that she could stand, Regina completely missed the person standing inches in front of her. 

"You alright?" 

"Ahhh!" Regina squeaked as the sudden voice broke the silence. She fell backwards on her bottom, eyes flying to the hand that was now inches in front of her face. 

"Need a hand?" The voice asked, tone gentle, and smooth like honey. 

Regina gulped as she slowly lifted her head to look at the person the hand belonged to. The face smiled back at her, hazel eyes sparkling with an intense warmth. After sitting there, staring into his eyes for perhaps a second longer than intended, Regina took the hand, allowing the boy's strength to pull her up. It didn't take much--she didn't weigh hardly a thing after all. 

"Reggie, is it?" The boy asked as a grin stretched across his face. 

"Uh-uh-uh , uh-huh." She nodded a bit too forcefully, the action causing her neck to hurt just a little. 

Luke let out a small chuckle. "Luke." He said, extending his hand for Reggie to shake. 

"Reggie." Regina let out quickly as she took his hand and began shaking it a bit too enthusiastically. "But...I guess I already said that." The boy in front of Luke blushed deeply, raising his free hand to the back of his neck sheepishly as he continued to shake hands with him for what seemed like too long of a time. 

Seeming to note the now awkward tension, Alex spoke up from behind Luke. "Alex, pleasure to meet you." He said as he reached out a hand for Reggie to shake. Instead of shaking his hand however, Alex did a sort of high-five into a handshake, their hands grasping tightly just a moment before parting. Regina let out a small chuckle, she liked that this boy clearly knew how to avoid an awkward situation better than the other one. 

After her hand left Alex's, a hard slap made her splutter and shift forward a bit. Alex raised an eyebrow, seemingly questioning her strange reaction. 

"Sup, I'm Bobby." The person who had slapped her shoulder said nonchalantly as if slapping someone was no big deal. 

"Sup?" Regina supplied back, yet it sounded more like a question than anything.

"Sorry about him." Alex quickly apologized as he shot Bobby a look. "He's a little rough around the edges." Bobby grinned at Alex while simultaneously flipping him off from under his desk. Alex scoffed but didn't return the gesture. Regina smiled at that. This Alex kid was obviously the most civilized of the group. 

"Soooo...bass, hmm?" Luke asked, his voice revealing that he truly was interested in Reggie's answer. 

"Yeah!" Regina perked up as she responded. "I've played bass ever since I was a kid. I absolutely love it. The way the sound reverberates through your chest. The feeling of the strings stinging your fingers as you pluck them. The weight of the instrument cradled in my arms...Suddenly, Regina trailed off as she realized she was rambling. She blushed deeply. 

"Sorry." 

Luke stared at the boy in awe, his eyes reflecting adoration towards the words that fell from his pale, pink lips. 

"Oh man, I think you broke him." Bobby chided as he nudged Luke right below the spot where his ribs were. 

"Do you want to come practice with us tonight?" Luke suddenly blurted out in a big huff of breath he had obviously been holding for about ten seconds now. 

Regina was taken aback at the offer, her jaw moving up and down as words failed to form. Eventually, she nodded her head up and down quickly. 

"Great!" Luke smiled a smile that could light up the sky. Regina blushed furiously. 

"Here." Luke whipped out a pen and grabbed Regina's hand. In very chicken-scratch-like handwriting, he wrote out a phone number. "It's mine. Text me after school and I'll send you the address to our studio." 

"Okaaaay." Regina affirmed hesitantly. "You just have to promise me one thing…

Luke, Bobby, and Alex looked at each other, then looked up expectantly. "What?"

"That you're not serial killers."

Luke let out a hearty laugh, his arm going to clutch his side due to how much the laughter was causing it to ache. Alex stared horrified, as if what Reggie had said made him start to question if that's how they sounded and if normal people thought the same thing. Bobby just smirked. 

"Nope. Not serial killers." Luke promised as he made a sign like he was crossing his heart. "Just three guys in a band who are gonna be legends one day."

Regina smiled. These guys truly were something else. Maybe 2020 really has changed a lot. Maybe, just maybe, her interpretation of men was wrong. Maybe they really did want to be her friend, but could it last? That was a question she'd be asking everyday for the next few months.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! next chapter will be really intense! Sneak Peek: Regina's monthly time comes along...how is she gonna explain that if she's supposed to be a dude?! O.O


	3. Dudes Don’t Get that Kind of Pain Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's that time of the month and Regina has a big problem...boys don't get this kind of pain. What's a girl dressed as a guy supposed to do? And...more importantly...how is she gonna hide this from Luke, Alex, and Bobby? The boys are already protective...how are they gonna react to this?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a two parter because I am having sooooo much fun with it! Lots of Ruke & Boggie moments in this chapter! They're just sooo cute <3 <3

It had been three weeks since they had invited her to join them in their studio. Three weeks and she had already made friends with all the guys, a girl named Julie, her best friend Flynn, and Alex's boyfriend Willie. So far, her ploy hadn't been discovered. As far as they were concerned, she was just a happy-go-lucky bass player who loved to joke and had a secret obsession with country music. They had no idea about her home life--the fact that her parents had started fighting more and more. And...they had no idea that she was a girl. Yes...everything was going smoothly, her secret identity kept safe. Everything was perfect...but then the end of the month came around. And with it...her monthly visitor. 

How had she forgotten?! She was still a girl after all! This happened every month! And yet...she somehow hoped that dressing like a boy would trick her body into thinking she was one. Too bad that's not how life works. 

"Uuuuhhh." Regina groaned as she clutched her stomach. She was practicing with the band at their studio--something they had let her do ever since they met. She wasn't officially a part of Sunset Curve yet, but she played with them so often that it sure felt like it. 

As if he had super hearing, Luke picked up on her groan, his fingers going still on the strings of his guitar as he stopped and turned to look at her. 

"Dude, everything alright?" His voice was laced with concern, puppy dog eyes looking straight up at her. 

"Oh, uh, uh, yeah. All good!" Regina let out sheepishly as she gave Luke a thumbs up. "Just, excuse me for a minute." 

Luke raised an eyebrow, but nodded. Regina lifted the strap of her bass over her head and leaned the instrument against her amp. 

Quickly, and trying not to raise suspicion, she grabbed her bag and tucked herself away in the studio's bathroom. 

She shifted through the contents of her bag, searching desperately for the pain meds she had taken with her. Unfortunately, the medication wasn't just for her monthly problem. It was also for the bruise that had formed on her back just two days ago. Let's just say her dad wasn't too fond of her coming home late and forgetting to make dinner. 

While she was still searching for the Advil she swore she packed, a soft knock sounded on the door. 

"Hey, you ok in there?" A voice filled with sincerity and worry asked. It was Alex. 

"Yeah, yeah, just a second!" Regina responded as she tried not to sound panicked. 

After changing her tampon, shoving two small pills she had somehow managed to salvage from the bottom of her purse down her throat, and zipping up her backpack, Regina exited the restroom, her eyes downcast as she tried not to look at anyone. 

"Hey, you sure you're ok?" Luke asked softly as he slapped her back reassuringly. 

Regina hissed softly, Luke’s hand having hit the corner of her bruise. "Yeah, great!" She sputtered quickly. 

Luke’s eyebrows knitted together. "If you're so "great", then why did you just hiss when I touched you. Reggie...what's going on?"

Regina froze, she had to think of something fast to get the boys off her trail. She looked down, fiddling with her fingers as Bobby and Alex stepped up on either side of Luke to join the conversation. 

"I was helping my dad fix up his car yesterday...and...uh...I-uh...I bumped into something that made the shelf in my garage just kinda break. I don't know, but it hit my back...and it kinda hurts now." Regina shrugged after finishing, hoping desperately that her story was somewhat believable. "Oh, and I guess my stomach hurts a little. Guess I forgot to eat…

"Reg...why didn't you say anything? We didn't have to practice today." Luke said comfortingly as he placed a hand on Reggie's shoulder. Regina looked into his eyes, the tense feeling in her shoulders starting to relax. The thing about not eating was a lie--well, she'd had a self-made pb & j anyway--but she really couldn't say that her stomach hurt because she was cramping. Dudes didn't get that kind of pain. 

"Did you tell your dad about your back?" Alex brought up, his eyes beginning to scan Regina up and down. 

"Na-no. I-uh, he wasn't there when it happened...I didn't tell my parents...didn't wanna worry them." Regina brushed off the question as she began to shuffle and make her way around Luke. 

Bobby stopped her. "Nope. Not getting away that easily. Show us."

"Show you what?" Regina started to panic now. Did they figure her out already? What was Bobby talking about?! 

"Your back. We should at least make sure it's nothing serious. Then we can go get something to eat."

Regina let out a puff of air. Whew! They didn't suspect her. But...what were they gonna say when they saw the bruise?! 

"No!" Regina covered her mouth as soon as she said it. Dang it! Now THAT was suspicious. 

"Reeeeggggie...show us." Luke commanded as he made his way behind Regina and started to pull at the end of her shirt. 

"Hey, stop that!" Regina protested as she whacked Luke’s hand away. "Fine, fine, I'll show you...just hold up!" She didn't want to do this, but it would be way better if she did it. That way, she could control how much they saw. She wasn't too keen on letting the guys see that she was wearing a sports bra--that would bring up even more questions. No, she would only let them see the bruise. Hopefully they'd back off after that. 

Regina slowly lifted up the corner of her black tee, allowing the bruise to be visible but nothing else. 

Luke, Alex, and Bobby held their breaths as they looked at the bruise. It was blueish-yellow, creating a rather large spot that dominated the majority of Reggie's lower back. What was strange though, is that it looked like this was more than one spot that had been hit. It was more like a series of bruises than anything, each being of slightly different coloration. 

"Woah." Alex let out his breath. "That looks painful."

Bobby whacked the blonde-haired drummer on the shoulder. "Duh it's painful!" 

"Dude, don't you think you better get that looked at?" Luke asked, his voice raising slightly in pitch. 

"Nah, this is nothing." Regina shrugged, only registering what she had said when it was too late. Dang it! Now what were they gonna think?! 

"Oh, uh, I'm just clumsy, ya know? I've broken at least three bones and this doesn't compare at all to what that was like!" 

Luke stared at Reggie, his mouth agape. "This isn't nothing! At least let someone look at it!"

"Yeah, Julie's aunt is a nurse. I'm sure she won't mind." Alex piped up. 

Regina rolled her eyes. "Why don't we just drop it you guys?!" She said a bit too harshly, her words coming out like a snap. "S-sorry." She mumbled quickly, her fingers going back to fiddle with the hem of her shirt. 

"Hey, it's ok." Luke patted Regina on the shoulder. "Just...it'd make us all feel a lot better if you'd get it checked out. Pleeeeeaaaasssssseeeee!" Luke clapped his hands together and looked up, his eyes blinking in a sort of puppy-dog like manner. 

Regina instantly melted. "Ah-okay." She resigned, her eyes meeting the floor as the three boys gently began guiding her towards the Molina’s front door. As soon as they got there, Regina went to turn around, her nerves signaling for her to run. 

Luke reached out and grabbed her wrist, tugging her forward and making sure she didn't leave. Regina just huffed, her lips going to form a slight pout. 

*ding*

Bobby rang the doorbell as the four of them waited patiently outside--nope, that's a lie. They didn't wait patiently because all four of them were fidgeting nervously. Bobby because he was worried about Reggie not eating (Bobby didn’t fail to notice how skinny and pale he always was). Alex because of the bruise he had seen on Reggie (it must be really painful with how ugly it looked). Luke because he feared Reggie would rather bolt then let them take care of him. And Regina...Regina was worried that they would finally see through her disguise. No, she couldn’t let that happen!

Regina pushed at Luke’s hand that was on her wrist, anger starting to well up in her chest. "Let go!" She whined as she continued the motion. 

"No." Luke said firmly. "You're not gonna leave without us helping you. I don't care if I have to pin you down myself!" 

Regina blushed at the thought, her teeth going to bite at her bottom lip. She stopped struggling. Luke pinning her down would be way worse than anything she would face inside. 

After what seemed like a couple minutes, but felt like an eternity, the door to the house opened. Julie raised an eyebrow at the scene in front of her. 

Luke was practically manhandling Reggie. Bobby and Alex were looking at each other (and Luke) nervously. And Reggie was making the poutiest pouty face she's ever seen. 

"Okaaaay, what's going on???" Julie asked suspiciously as she surveyed the boys over once more. 

Before Regina could say anything, Luke burst out. "Reggie's hurt and he won't stop trying to run away." 

"Whadayamean Reggie's hurt?!" Julie squeaked out, her voice going high and words jumbling. 

Luke didn’t respond, but pushed Reggie inside, the boy's protests echoing around the room as Luke's grip on his wrist tightened. 

"Sit." Luke commanded forcefully as he crossed his arms and pouted at Reggie. "I'm staying here too until Tía comes." 

Regina didn't respond except for a small grumble. Dang it, Luke! Why are you so stubborn! 

After a minute of sitting on the couch with her arms crossed, Regina felt a familiar pang in her stomach. She screwed her face up in a pained expression, hand coming to rest on her stomach. 

"What? What is it?!" Luke asked in a rush, worry lacing his voice as he sat himself down next to Regina and stared at where she had placed her hand. 

"Nothing!" Regina squeaked. "Ju-just hungry." 

Luke didn’t look convinced, but he shouted to where Bobby was with Julie and Alex in the kitchen. "Bobby, come here for a second!" 

Bobby rushed into the living room, a look of concern on his face. "Wh-what is it?" 

"Stay here and keep an eye on him. I'm gonna go get Reg something to eat." He instructed as he got up from the couch. Bobby nodded, taking Luke’s position. 

"You ok, Reg? Does it hurt when you sit?" Bobby asked gently as he clasped his hands in his lap and looked into Reggie’s green eyes. 

Regina really wanted to lie down--not necessarily because her back hurt, but because...you know. So, she nodded her head slowly. 

Bobby nodded and motioned for Reggie to lay down. He scooted over so that Reggie had room to stretch out. Quickly, and without saying a word, Bobby hoisted Reggie's head in his lap and began running his fingers through his hair soothingly. 

Regina stiffened for a moment, but then relaxed into the touch. She didn’t usually find this sort of thing comforting, but for some reason Bobby seemed to have a magic touch. After a moment, Regina chuckled to herself. It was a good thing she had cut her hair instead of using a wig for her transformation--otherwise Bobby would.have been in for a big surprise right about now. 

"What?" Bobby asked, amused.

"Nothing, nothing." Regina said quickly between a couple more chuckles. "I-I like this she muttered before sleepily starting to blink her eyes."

"Yeah." Bobby let out a bemused huff. "Luke and Alex do too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready for some Ray & Reggie bonding moments coming up...I just can't write a story without this father-son? dynamic...I'm sorry, ok!!! I love them sooo much <3

**Author's Note:**

> So for the purpose of this story, I didn't establish Regina's sexuality; however, the character she plays in her social experiment (Reggie) is going to be bisexual. My reasoning behind this is to reiterate that this story is not a coming out story, rather it is about the inner-workings of the male mind and how Regina goes undercover to find out why exactly women are treated the way they are by men. The thing is, however, that she ends up falling in love unexpectedly along the way.


End file.
